This photo should move you in one of three ways: you have no idea what is and are moved not at all, you are an avid lover of art and know exactly what it is or you have a daughter that you’re trying to raise to be culturally aware
and have given her the book Linnea and therefore, have been here millions of times as you read through it. (Little 5th grade shadow box project of that book one of my girls did. She is about to graduate college as an art history major.Hmm……) For those of you in the first group, I am going to bring you up to speed. Groups two and three, no photo on a computer screen could ever do justice to how beautiful this place really is.
Giverny is a quaint little town 80 km outside of Paris that is set in gently rolling hills with vistas that will take your breath away. Artist Claude Monet settled here with his family in 1883 and his water lily and Japanese bridge paintings were inspired by the gardens that he created on the grounds. They still exist today in all their splendor and if you are lucky enough to pick a cloudless day to visit you will experience a day for all the senses.
This is the entrance to his home that is part of the tour. Be warned that his paintings aren’t displayed here-a visit to Musée de l’Orangerie will help with that. The house has been restored to reflect what life was like here for he and his family. The flowers are how they appear–wild, colorful and plentiful. This is not only a feast for the eyes, the scent of rose, lavender and rosemary will follow you throughout your day. The “town” as it were, is literally one long, narrow street with a few art galleries, restaurants and one hotel. At the far end is a tiny whitewashed church, very humble and beautiful in its simplicity. It is here that Monet and many of his family members are buried.
This can easily be a day excursion–no need to get hotel rooms. You can leave Paris early in the morning, have a magnificent lunch underneath an awning of ivy that over looks an incredible valley and be back in Paris with all its busy-ness in time for dinner. Sort of a yin-yang day. The train out of Gare St Lazare to Gare de Vernon will take about 45 minutes. A round trip ticket is about 24 euros. Once you get to Vernon there is a bus that waits right outside the station to take you out to Giverny–about a 10-15 minute ride. Or, for the really adventurous, their are bike rentals available right by the station as well. I opted for the bus but the people on the bikes were having way more fun!!
In 1992, a second museum was established in this tiny village–Musée d’art Americain, which was created to celebrate the colony of American artists who came to Giverny at the turn of the century. It is here, in Monet’s backyard, that they started testing the waters of Impressionism and the museum explores this important link between France and America. This too, is well worth the trip!
As of yesterday, the Monet museum is open and ready for its 2008 season. It may be a bit early for all the opulent color you see in these photos but really is so worth seeing. And if you rent a bike, let me know how it went!
Photos: A. Chrysoteme